Rail and tie plate therefor



Dec. l "1925v v` L.. R. PARSONS RAIL ANDv TIE PLATE THEREFOR Filed April 1s.V 1925 g Enza-21...

www@ Zzjjmam y Mort/egg I,

Patented Dec. 1, 1925.

LOUIS R. PARSONS, OF RARITAN, ILLINOIS.

RAIL AND TIE PLATE THEREFOR.

Application lcd April 18, 1925. Serial No. 24,093.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, Louis R. PARSONS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Raritainin the county of Henderson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Rail and Tie Plate Therefor; and I do declare the follow* ing to be a` full, clear, and exact desciiption of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved track rail and tie plate therefor, and the present application constitutes a continuation in part of my U. S. application Serial No. 750,391, filed Nov. 17th, 1924.

Like the device shown in the application just referred to, the present invention includes a socket in the bottom of a track rail, a tie plate upon which the rail rests, and a lug on the tie plate for snug reception in the socket, and one object of the invention is to not only so shape the inter-engaging socket and lug, as to effectively guide the rail back to its proper place on the tie plate under vibration of the rail but to also so form the socket in the base of the iail as to prevent material weakening of the latter, thus obtaining the maximum bearing surface with the minimum reduction in the moment of inertia.

The socket in the rail extends transversely of the web thereof, that is, has its maximum dimension transverse the rail with a plain upper guiding surface of appreciable width which extends from the midlength or deepest point of the socket in gradual curvature to a substantial niergence with the bottom surface of the rail. The side walls of the socket are slightly convergent upwardly and merge on a slightlyy rounded line with the plain top surface of the socket. The lug on the tie plate is of course exactly complementary to the formation of the socket, so that the lug when in place in the socket presents its maximum obstruction toward a creeping action of the rail and its minimum obstruction toward a lateral movement of the rail. As the lug has `its main length or dimension transverse the rail, the guiding iniiuence of the surface of the lug transverse the rail is gradual, while the more abrupt side walls of the lug present a greater restraining influence against creeping. surface of tl l tion describen` The extreme upper g', by reason of the forma- 'ldirectly inline with the the rail web, effectively combines the guidingrepositioning of the rail when laterally displaced under strain, and at the saine time,

a guiding but more resistive influence against creeping of the rail.

The socket in the rail extends in both direct-ions beyond and transversely of the rail web, but does not extend to the edges of the rail fiange, so that the socket is wholly within the outline of the rail base. The upper wall of the socket which forms the guiding surface extends in both directions transversely of the rail web from the central line of the socket, which is its point of maximum depth and is in direct. line with the web of the rail. The curvature of the guiding surface from this center point is outwardly toward the bottom surface of the rail and finally merges into such surface. By this construction, the depth of the socket grad' ually decreases throughout that portion thereof located beyond the rail web, that is, in the flange portion of the rails, so that the minimum amount of metal is cut from these flanges .in forming the socket. Thus, any material weakening' of the flange portions of the rail is avoided.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tie plate provided with a rib spaced laterally from its lug to engage the edge of one base flange of the rail when the lugI and socket are in co-operation.

A further Objectis to provide a rail and tie plate of the character set forth, which will not only be effective for the intended purposes but on account of ease and cheapness of manufacture and extreme simplicity of construction will be commercially feasible.

With the foregoing in view, the invention reside-s in the novel subject matter herein after described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing the rail, the tie plate and a tie in operative relation.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view as indicated by line 22 of Fig. l.

Figure 3 is a tion of the rail.

Figure l is a perspective view of the tie plate.

Figure is a plan viewshowng a farm perspective view cfa por-` ars` ` noted that the niaxinnun.l depth of the socket.y

into the base, flanges-F; saidends termi# nate inwardly ofthe edges ofl said flanges.

The socketl is-,shallow and itis provided i with an arched upperror vguiding surface 2 which isv preferably formedA on the arc ofI a circle-lj This upper surface merges into thelower vsurface foffthe rail R, inwardly of the edges of the fla'n-gesFi vThe side-,walls of thelsoc'ketil, are'straight orv flat and they converge'upwardly'to a slight extent, asy

shown'in Fig'.` l. It isA to'lbev particularly is 'in direct alinelnentywith the web of the rail,-atvwh1'ch` pointof course the base portion-'of Athe rail is -Of-"1naXinnnn strength. Frorn'ethis' pointr` ofV vinaxiin'uin depth, that is to say, y freni points' in line vrWith'- the sides. of the web, theupperlorf guiding surfaceof-the socket, by lreason-ofits curved formation is of-gradua'lly andl continually lreduced depth Y until itfy fin-ally'- merges# lintethe vr-lcottovinsur-y faceofthelfl'ange; Thus, asgthefsocket eX-e'- This socket is'hori# tends into thevflange portionJoff the rail, `"it is of decreasing; 'depth outwardly, f ,thereby necessitating the removal of thesejpor-tions of-thesocket,`rrv `with fthe .result that anyinaterial.weakening'4V ofthe base'fflanges isv avoided. A

By yLfo'rnnng Vthe socketsffl in the 4ina-nner shown' and 1 deserilo'ed,l` only an v infinitesimal weakenlngl-of the railis produced, and 1nactual'tests, carrying-la load? upto 150,000 pounds?? it i, is l found that; a'V rail '1 'constructedv in accordance with. thef'inventien-willjdefflect-considerably less vthan 't-wo'perl cent more than -a'n orldinary'solid 'rail of the same-size and? ina-terial; Thus, itfvvill fbelseen 'that thisV ribs 5, to engage' an ordinarytie T'." Along one edge, the plate 4l is provided vwith a rib 6 which-is adapted to abut the edge of one of thevbase,flanges'llavhen the rail is in operative relation with the plate, and spike holes-7` have, been shown in the plate, two of said holes extending through this rib. The upper surfaceof, the plate 4 is provided with an integral lug 8 of asize and shape identical with the size and sha-pe .of any y of I the-sockets l, so thatfitn'ay'be tightly A`received in the latter., to contact with all sur! faces thereof;y Oil-account.of'thisI ident-ity in shape, between the sockets-1l and. the slug? 8,'l the latter will notzbefurther described:y Obviously-,any Vlower surface of'fthe rail, e whether the lowerl surface offener' of.' the flanges F, orone end port/ion of one ofthesurfaces 2, willihavea tendencyy toco-opaY erate with the guidingrfsurface, tliusf'assist-I; ing in laterally shiftin'ggthelrailinto place. Then this shifting is? effected, if; thev lugs 8- of thenunierous tie plates, are notfiin'inedilf atelyf-received inthe-socketsl of the rail,fit is only necessary7 to'longitudiini'lly shift-the. plates to a slight extent, Whereupontlie proper Vinter-fittingof: lugs..- and sockets'fwill takeplace. Thespi-kes are nowdriven, andI ther-ail is vthus'secur'ely anchored to the ties` both. against longitudinali creeping land: lat# eralshi-fting. In fcase of "looseningzfof any.

of"itlie spikes, permittingl slight vvertical movement of fthe lrail R1 during- :they passage of trainsi lthe-reover,the shaping ofi rthe coe acting slugsv fandf sockets, will effectively` re; turnfthe railto-'its pro-per Contact witlrthe v tielplates; Moreover, this formation ofwlugs, aridsocketsf provides; l'for inaxiinun'r bearing-f surface,' with the minimum: reductiony inl the inonieut of inertia.

In--L sonief. instances, instead 1' Vof' providingr the tiezaplate.v with only o-ne lug, z it may be provided with a Iplurality-ofsuch lugs; This construction is'` disclosed vinl Fig,-y 5, inV which lik-designantesI;thel. tie plate. and"Safrefersl to anumber; of lugs thereon, 'corresponding in size and shapeto thefflugfS above `described andr properly spacedfor reception' in-a nuni# ber offthesocketsl:

Excellent:l resultsf arel obtain able from 1 thel details disclosed :andth'ey are therefore pref# era-bly followed.' However, within the scope f l off theainventioiras claimed,A Lminor 1 ch anges amount `Vof-"weakening isf negli gibl'e' as cern-iA pared with the weakening necessarily-pro duced by .arrangementsiff-somewhat sin'iilar shaping the sockets and.;the-'coactingwlugs on the 'tiefplatesfin -the'niannerydisclosed,

devicesf heretofore A proposed in th'e arti: By

the maxginuijbearing surfaceisjolotainedf with@ the l niinim'unr reduction in* the inoineut of inertia.

Usable'fwitlr theimprov'edlfrail; isa ti plate' 4l which is preferably of rectangular forni 'an'd :providedff'on'fits lower sur-face .with

may'off course' be :maden Iclaim:

lixThe combination with a track r'ailhavf ingrformed inits bottonisurfacesa socket: arrangedftransverse the web ofA thefrail Withwits ends extending.- into but-'terminating shortfoff'fthe Hedges fof 1thefloase flanges of the k=` rail ,y the.y ends ofA the: socket-being formedA tol'- pre'ventundue .weakening pf the' base flangesof 'f-the ra-il V#beyond the Web, and? a tie 'plate formed with a lug. to' itf in` said'socket;` with the wall lof the `lug2 arranged at'otherf than llO a right angle relation to the plate for guiding influence on the rail.

2. The combination with a track rail having formed in its bottom surface a socket arranged transverse the web of the rail with its ends extending into but terminating short of the edges of the base flange of the rail, the ends of the socket being formed to prevent undue weakening of the base flanges of the rail beyond the web, and a tie plate formed with a lug to fit in said socket, with the walls of the lug arranged at other than a right angle relation to the plate for guiding influence on the rail, the tie plate being formed with a rib extending longitudinally thereof to form an abutment for the free edge of one of the rail fianges when the socket in said rail is in co-operation with the lug on the plate.

3. The combination with a track rail having formed in its bottom surface a socket, with its maximum dimension transverse the rail, the upper wall of the socket being gradually curved in both directions from the area in line with the rail web, the side walls of the socket being in part convergent and merging in conforming curvature into the upper wall of the socket, of a tie plate having a lug thereon of complementary formation to that of and adapted to fit within the socket, whereby to provide a guiding influence on the rail in its return to normal position after lateral displace ment strain and a combined resistive and guiding infiuence on the rail under a creeping tendency of the rail.

4t. A tie plate for railroad rails, co1nprising a plate section adapted to underlie the rail and formed within the rail area with a lug having its maximum dimension `transverse the web of the rail and its maximum projection beyond the surface of the plate in line with the web of the rail, the upper surface of the lug being plain and gradually curving from that area adapted to underlie the rail web in both directions toward and substantially merging into the surface of the plate, the sidewalls of the lug converging from the surface of the plate with their upper edges merging into the upper surface of the lug, and a rail formed with a socket shaped to correspond with and receive the lug on the plate, whereby the rail under lateral strain will be guided for a return to normal position and under creeping strain will be resisted by the side walls and guided under creeping displacement by the area of such side walls merging into the top wall.

5. A tie plate for railroad rails, comprising a plate section adapted to underlie the rail and formed within the rail area with a lug having its maximum dimension transverse the web of the rail and its maximum projection beyond the surface of the plate in line with the web of the rail, the upper surface of the lug being plain and gradually curving from that area adapted to underlie the rail web in both directions toward and substantially merging into the surface of the plate, the side walls of the lug converging from the surface of the plate with their upper edges 4merging into the upper surface of the lug, and a rail formed with a socket shaped to correspond with and receive the lug on the plate, the tie plate being formed with a rib extending longitudinally thereof to form an abutment for the free edge of one of the rail flanges when the socket in said rail is in co-operation with the lug` on the plate.

G. A rail having a socket formation in its lower surface in line with and extending in both directions beyond and transversely of the rail web, with the socket terminating short of the edges of the rail flange, the socket having its maximum depth in line with the rail web and having a guiding sur-v face extending transversely of the rail web and curving from the point of maximum depth of the socket to and curving from the point of maximum depth of the socket to and merging with the lower surface of the rail, the curvature of such guiding surace beyond the rail web being such that the resultant depth of the socket will avoid weakening the flanges of the rail beyond the web, and a plate provided with a lug shaped to correspond to and fit within the socket of the rail.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.V

LOUIS R. PARSONS. 

